Knitting machine



Aug. 21, 1956 E. F. CLARK ETA.

KNITTING MACHINE Filed July 15. 1953 United States Patenti() KNITTING MACHINE Eugene F. Clark, Damariscotta, Maine, and John R. Little, Jr., Fall River, Mass., assignors, by mesne assignments, to The B. F. Goodrich Company, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of New York Application `luly 15, 1953, Serial No. 368,047

4 Claims. (Cl. 66-84) This invention relates to a knitting machine, particularly to a machine adapted for making carpet and the like fabric.

An object of the invention is to provide a knitting machine in which face threads will be laid in the fabric in weft fashion and in loop form and then cut to provide free ended pile as the work progresses.

Another object of the invention is to provide a knitting machine so constructed that ground and face threads may be laid simultaneously with the face threads made into loops to be cut into pile as the work progresses.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined loop former and loop severing means to be held stationary in the space between the needles.

Another object of the invention is to provide thread guides for the laid-in threads or wefts to be held in space between the needles and so constructed as to prevent chafing of the threads by the needles.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a thread guide for the laid-in threads so constructed as to provide thread guiding surfaces inwardly of the sides of the guide.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

of a knitting machine embodying myginvention;4

Figure 2 is a view partially in section illustrating the means for forming loops in the face threads and fory severing the same as the work progresses;

Figure 3 is a perspective View on an enlarged scale of a guide for the face and ground threads of the fabricy made on the machine;

Figure 4 is a similar view but looking at the opposite side of the guide; and

Figure 5 is a sectional top plan view of the guide shown in Figure 3 positioned in the space between the needles of the machine and showing the threadas guided therethrough. t

Referring to the drawings, rthe needle bed is held at its end on supports 11 and has a plurality of vertical needle grooves 12 which extend inwardly from the inner side of the bed. A usual latch needle 13 is received in each of the grooves to bey guided by the walls of the groove and held therein by a dovetail bar 14 which isv received in a complementary groove 15 which extends lengthwise of the bed and intersects the plurality of grooves 12. The needles 13 are reciprocated in unison by means of an inverted L-shaped bar 16 providing a shoulder 17 which is adapted to engage the upper side of the usual abutment 18 formed on the shank of the needle. The bar extends in a horizontal direction and is arranged to be reciprocated in a vertical direction by mechanism not shown. Thus, upon a downward movement of the said bar 16, the shoulder 17 will engage the said abutment and thereby move the needles therewith from the Patented Aug. 21, 1956 ice of a horizontal bar 19 which is adapted to engage the lower end of the needles and is connected for movement y in unison with the bar 16 as by means of connecting straps 20 secured to the bar 16 as at 21 and tothe bar 19 `as at 21. The spacing between the bar 19 and the shoulder 17 is slightly greater than the distance between the ends of the needles and the abutment 18, whereby providing for a lag or rest period for the needles at both opposite side of the bar to intersect the opening 30 andf ends of the reciprocating stroke of the said bars 16 and 19.

The warp threads T which form the wales of the fabric are guided in and about the needles 13 by thread guides 22, there being a guide 22 for each thread, which are mounted on a bar 23 which extends in a horizontal direction at a position above the needle bed 10 to position the lower end of the guides 22 at near the upper end of the path of the needles. The bar oscillates about the pivot 64 and is also mounted for axial movement, whereby the guides may be oscillated and moved laterally so as to guide the threads in and about the needles in the usual manner in making knit fabric.`

In the present instance the machine disclosed is particularly adapted for making carpet and the like fabric in which the ground and face threads are laid in weftlike manner and secured in the fabric by the warp threads T which form the wales which may be single rows of chain stitches. The ground and face threads are moved laterally across the backs of the needles 13 by thread guides 24, 25 which project in the spaces between the needles. It may be here pointed out that the number of grooves 12 per inch determines the gauge of the machine. If there are six grooves per inch, there will be a corresponding number of needles and guides for each thread. Thus, the spaces between the needles 13 are restricted and the usual tubular guides for the laid-in threads are unsatisfactory in that the spacing between the needles does not permit enlarging the usual tubular guides to 'i laid-in threads or yarns employed in making carpet. Figure l is a sectional view of a fragmental portion i groove 28 (see Fig. 4) at the leading end portion thereof and the ends of which terminate in openings 29, 30 extending through the bar. A concave groove 31 (see Fig. 3) `is formed on the opposite side of the bar and extends inwardly on a slant or incline from an edge and said with the longitudinal outer edges of the groove extending tangentially to the wall of said opening at points substantially diametrically across the opening 30. The leading end of the bar or guide is tapered outwardly as at y 32 from a location substantially diametrically across the opening 29. 'Ihe other end of the guide has a notch 33 extending inwardly from an edge of the guide.

, Referring to Figure 5, the thread 34 which in the pres-` 28 to be guided to opening 29 and out along the taperedv surface 32. The grooves 28, 31 are made of a sufficient depth so that the thread 34 will lie therein inwardly ofy the sides of the guide, thus protecting the thread against i' chafing by the needles 13 in the raising and lowering thereof and also permitting passing through the guide of such knots and the like which may be contained in the thread.

A bracket 35 having a longitudinal groove 36 openi ing inwardly from the front edge thereof extends horizontally across the width of the machine and is provided at the ends with an arm 37 which is adjustable about a rod 38 and secured as at 39 to a strap 40 which is mounted on the rod 38 and a second rod 41. The rods are arranged to be moved axially by mechanism not shown and with which the present invention is not concerned. A ilat bar 42 having grooves 43, one for each guide 24, is received in the groove 36 to project forwardly therefrom and be secured in position by screws as at 44. A guide 24 is received in each of the grooves 43 and held in place by a U-clamp 4S having one leg thereof extending into the notch 33 and the other leg thereof engaging against the adjacent surface of the bar 42. A screw 46 secures the clamp to the said bar 42. The guide 25 is similarly supported on a substantially similar structure but in the inverted order and similar parts are indicated with a similar but prime number. The guides project in the space between the needles with the leading edge and opening 29 positioned beyond the back of the needles or at the rear of the hooks of the needles and are moved laterally in back of the needles.

A loop former 50 having a knife edge 51 at tfhe leading edge thereof and a notch 52 at the other end extending inwardly from the upper edge thereof is mounted on a stationary support 53 and secured thereto as by means of a U-clamp 54 having one leg thereof engaging in the notch 52 and the other leg thereof engaging against the support 53. A screw 55 secures the clamp in place. There is a loop former 50 for each spacing between the needles 13, and these are additionally held in place by a plate 56 extending laterally across the upper edge of the loop formers and secured to the support as by screws 57. The formers project in the spaces between the needles and with the leading edge portion thereof extending beyond the said needles.

In the operation of the machine at the start of a knitting course, the needles 13 are at their lowest position, as shown in full lines in Figure l. The guides 22 are at a position to lead the threads T from the needles towards the right, as seen in Figure l, to be clear of the lateral path of the guides 24 and 25. The guides 24, 25 are moved or jogged across the back of the needles for a distance depending upon the knit pattern but at least two needles and then come to rest opposite a space between needles. Thus, the ground thread G will lay beneath the former 50 and the face thread F will lay across the former 50. The needles rise to their highest position as indicated in broken lines. The thread guides 22 swing in the space between the needles from the right to the left and then are moved laterally either towards one side of the machine or the other for the distance usually one needle and return towards the right, placing the threads in the hook of the needles which have been previously unlatched as will hereinafter appear. The ground and face threads are now held in the bight of the T thread at the right of the needles. The needles are lowered and draw a loop of thread. 1n the repeat of the above cycle, the guides 22 swing to the left, across the needles, and return, each thread passing around the one needle when single rows of warp stitches are to be made, laying a strand of thread T in the hook portion of the needle. Upon the rising of the needles, the previous or old loop held in the hook is moved downwardly around the shank of the needle, that is, the old loops are held by the fabric made against moving upwardly with the needles and the needles pass upwardly through the loops, and, passing down the shank, opens the latch of the needle. When the needle is moved down, the old loop is moved up the shank of the needle, closes the latch on the new strand, and slips off or is cast off the needle at the same time pulling a new strand of thread into a loop through the old one and binding the ground andl face threads in the knit stitches. The strand of the face thread F between needles is prevented from. being drawn into the fabric by the formers, ThLIS a' loop in the face thread is made in the space between the needles (see Figure 2) in which the loops in the face threads or wefts are designated 58 and the tie-in knit stitches or wales are designated 59. As the fabric advances along the former 50, the bight of the loops 59 will engage and be severed by the knife edge 51 into cut pile. Should it be desired to form uncut loops, the knife edge 51 is omitted.

It will now be apparent that we have disclosed a knitting machine which is particularly adapted for making a carpet and like fabric in which the ground and face threads or yarns may be laid in the manner of wefts in the fabric.

We claim:

1. In a knitting machine, a plurality of knitting needles, a guide for warp threads for guiding said thread about said needles to knit chains of warp threads, a loop former held stationary and projecting in the space between adjacent needles with the leading end portion of said former extending beyond said needles and having a knife edge thereon, means to lay ground threads across said chains beneath said former, means to lay pile threads over said former across said chains, said chain being knitted about said ground and pile threads to bind the saine together in said chains at each course of knitting, said loops being advanced along said former to engage and be severed by said knife edge into cut pile.

2. In a knitting machine, a plurality of latched knitting needles, a warp thread guide mounted for swinging movement in the space between said needles and for lateral movement across said needles to guide warp threads about said needle to knit rows of chains of warp threads, a loop former held stationary in the space between said needlees and with its leading edge extending beyond said needles and provided with a knife edge, a ground thread guide extending in the space between said needles beneath said former and movable laterally to lay ground threads across said chains and beneath said former, and a pile thread guide extending in the space between said needles above said former and movable laterally to lay a pile thread over said former across said chains, said former, ground, and pile thread guides extending in the same space and in line with each other, said chains being knitted about said ground and pile threads to bind the same together in said chains at each course of knitting, said loops advancing along said former to engage said knife edge to be severed thereby into cut pile.

3. In a knitting machine, means including a plurality of spaced knitting needles to knit chains of warp threads, means to lay ground weft threads across said chains, means to lay pile threads along said ground threads across said chains, means .including a loop former held stationary and with the leading end thereof extending in the space between adjacent knitting needles to hold said pile threads raised in the spaces between adjacent chains and over which the loops as formed are advanced to slip off the said leading end thereof, said chains being knitted about said ground and pile threads to bind the same together in said chains, and means carried by said former over which said loops advanced to sever the same into cut pile.

4. In a knitting machine, a thread guide having a rectangular cross section with spaced openings extending laterally therethrough and a longitudinal groove extending inwardly from one side thereof and connecting said openings, said thread guide being reduced in thickness on the other side at the leading end thereof on a slant from opposite diametrical points of the opening nearest the end to the end of the guide whereby to position the edge of the last said opening nearest to the end substantially in line with the said groove, and a second longitudinal groove extendingV inwardly from said same other side to intersect the other of said openings at opposite diametrical points and leading from said points diagonally upwardly to the upper edge of said guide, said grooves being of a depth greater than the thickness of the thread to be guided thereby whereby the thread will lie from above the guide in said grooves and lead outwardly along said slanted end as advanced through said guide.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Mueller Aug. 19, 193.0

Morton Aug. 29, 1933 Jauch Mar. 24, 1936 Amidon Apr. 25, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Nov. 3, 1930 Great Britain Apr. 9, 1931 

